Pressure regulating device for exhaust tube

ABSTRACT

A pressure regulating device includes a housing for attaching to an exhaust tube and having a chamber for receiving an exhaust gas from the exhaust tube, a piston slidably received in the housing, and a spring biasing device for biasing the piston to control the exhaust gas to flow into the housing, the exhaust gas is capable of flowing into the housing when against a spring biasing force of the biasing device applied against the piston. The housing includes a conduit for slidably receiving a piston rod of the piston. The biasing device includes one or more spring members biased against the piston rod and adjustable to different spring biasing force by an adjusting device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a muffler or a pressure regulating device, and more particularly to a muffler or a pressure regulating and/or adjusting device and/or a silencing device for attaching to exhaust tubes of such as vehicles and for regulating and/or adjusting the pressure and/or the outwardly flowing quantity of exhaust gas and/or for silencing the outwardly flowing exhaust gas.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical exhaust tubes or pipes of such as vehicles may comprise one or more silencing tubes or manifold tubes or perforated tubes attached or coupled thereto for regulating and/or adjusting the pressure of the outwardly flowing exhaust gas and/or for silencing the outwardly flowing exhaust gas.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,347 to Wang discloses one of the typical exhaust tubes or pipes including one or more silencing tubes having a number of gas chambers formed by spaced disks, and a pipe having expanded portions and horizontal portions and inclined portions and venturi tubes for silencing the outwardly flowing exhaust gas. However, the typical exhaust tube may not be used for effectively regulating and/or adjusting the pressure of the outwardly flowing exhaust gas.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,860 to Chen discloses one of the typical mufflers or exhaust tubes or pipes including one or more silencing tubes disposed in a housing and each having a valve device attached thereto for adjusting the opening size of the tubes and for silencing the outwardly flowing exhaust gas and/or for regulating and/or adjusting the pressure or the flowing quantity or the flowing speed of the outwardly flowing exhaust gas.

However, the valve devices of the typical muffler are received and confined within the outer housing of the typical muffler and may not be adjusted by the users themselves and also may not be adjusted by the other people.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional pressure regulating devices for exhaust tubes of vehicles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a pressure regulating device or pressure adjusting device and/or a silencing device for attaching to exhaust tubes of such as vehicles and for regulating and/or adjusting the pressure and/or the outwardly flowing quantity or flowing speed of exhaust gas and/or for silencing the outwardly flowing exhaust gas.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a pressure regulating device for attaching to an exhaust tube, the pressure regulating device comprising a housing including a base for attaching to the exhaust tube and including a chamber formed therein, and including an inlet formed therein and communicating with the chamber thereof for receiving an exhaust gas from the exhaust tube, and including an outlet formed therein and communicating with the chamber thereof for outward flowing of the exhaust gas, a piston slidably received in the chamber of the housing, and a spring biasing device for biasing the piston to control an opening or an enclosing of the inlet of the housing, and to control the exhaust gas to flow into the housing through the inlet of the housing, and to allow the exhaust gas to flow out of the housing through the outlet of the housing, the exhaust gas is capable of flowing into the chamber of the housing only when the exhaust gas may force against a spring biasing force of the biasing device applied against the piston.

The housing includes a sealing ring disposed and engaged in the inlet of the housing for engaging with the piston and for controlling the opening or the enclosing of the inlet of the housing. The housing includes a conduit provided and supported in the chamber thereof and having a bore formed therein, and the piston includes a piston rod extended therefrom and slidably received in the bore of the conduit.

The housing includes a partition provided in the chamber thereof to support the conduit. The housing includes a barrel engaged into the bore of the conduit and engaged between the conduit and the piston rod for allowing the piston rod to smoothly slide relative to the conduit.

The piston includes a spring member for biasing against the piston rod. The piston includes a casing secured to the piston rod for engaging with the spring member. The biasing device includes at least one second spring member disposed around the spring member for biasing against the piston rod.

An adjusting device is further provided for adjusting a spring biasing force of the spring member against the piston rod. The housing includes a cover secured thereon, the adjusting device includes a panel disposed on top of the spring member and biased toward the cover, and an adjusting member threaded to the cover and engaged with the panel for moving and adjusting the panel against the spring member.

The panel includes a center cavity formed therein, and the adjusting member includes a centering tip for engaging with the center cavity of the panel and for centering the panel. The center cavity of the panel is a frustum-shaped cavity for centering purposes. The adjusting member is a threaded member, and a lock nut is threaded to the adjusting member for engaging with the cover and for locking the adjusting member to the cover.

The housing includes a membrane disposed between the cover and the housing for making an air tight seal between the cover and the housing. The membrane includes an outer peripheral portion secured between the cover and the housing and includes an inner portion attached to the piston rod of the piston. The cover includes a compartment formed therein and a hose coupled thereto and communicating with the compartment thereof for vacuuming the compartment of the cover.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a pressure regulating device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pressure regulating device;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2, in which one half of the pressure regulating device has been cut off for showing an inner structure of the pressure regulating device;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the pressure regulating device taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 5, 6 are cross sectional views similar to FIG. 4, illustrating the operation of the pressure regulating device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, a pressure regulating device 1 in accordance with the present invention is designed and provided for attaching to such as exhaust tubes of vehicles or boats or motorcycles or the like (not shown) and for regulating and/or adjusting the pressure of the exhaust gas outwardly flown from the exhaust tubes, and/or for regulating or adjusting the flowing quantity or the flowing speed of the exhaust gas, and/or for silencing the exhaust gas.

The pressure regulating device 1 comprises a housing 10 including a base 11 for engaging or attaching onto such as an exhaust tube of the vehicle or boat or the like (not shown) with one or more gaskets 12, and for securing to the exhaust tube of the vehicle or boat or the like (not shown) with one or more fasteners 13 (FIGS. 1, 2). The housing 10 includes a chamber 14 formed therein and includes an inlet 15 formed therein and communicating with the chamber 14 thereof for receiving the exhaust gas from the exhaust tube.

The housing 10 includes a conduit 16 formed or provided and supported in the chamber 14 thereof with such as a partition 17, and having a bore 18 formed therein and opened or directed toward the inlet 15 thereof for slidably receiving a piston rod 21 of a piston 20 therein. The piston 20 is slidably received in the chamber 14 of the housing 10. It is preferable that a gasket or barrel 22 is engaged into the bore 18 of the conduit 16 and is made of anti-abrasive or anti-rubbing materials, such as copper or copper alloy materials, and engaged between the conduit 16 and the piston rod 21 of the piston 20 for allowing the piston rod 21 to smoothly slide relative or along the conduit 16.

A gasket or sealing ring 23 is disposed or engaged in the inlet 15 of the housing 10 for engaging with the piston 20, or the piston 20 may be moved or forced to engage with the gasket or sealing ring 23 in order to control the opening or enclosing of the inlet 15 of the housing 10, and to control the exhaust gas to flow through the inlet 15 of the housing 10. The housing 10 includes an outlet 19 formed therein and communicating with the chamber 14 thereof and preferably includes a flare member 24 attached to the outlet 19 thereof for allowing the exhaust gas to flow out from the chamber 14 of the housing 10 through the outlet 19 and the flare member 24 of the housing 10.

The housing 10 includes a recess 25 formed or provided in the upper portion 26 thereof, and includes a cover 30 engaged onto the upper portion 26 of the housing 10 and secured to the housing 10 with such as fasteners 31. The cover 30 includes a compartment 32 formed therein and a hose 33 coupled thereto and communicating with the compartment 32 thereof for coupling to various vacuuming source, such as the engine of the vehicle, and for selectively vacuuming the compartment 32 thereof. A plate 40 and a casing 41 are slidably received in the compartment 32 of the cover 30 and/or in the recess 25 of the housing 10.

For example, the piston rod 21 includes a screw or threaded end or segment 27 engaged through the plate 40 and the casing 41, and one or more gaskets or washers 28 are engaged onto the threaded segment 27 of the piston rod 21, and a lock nut 29 is threaded to the threaded segment 27 of the piston rod 21 to secure the plate 40 and the casing 41 to the piston rod 21, and to allow the plate 40 and the casing 41 to be moved in concert with the piston rod 21 or to be moved relative to the housing 10 and the cover 30 by the piston rod 21.

A diaphragm or membrane 42 includes an outer peripheral portion 43 engaged or secured or clamped between the cover 30 and the upper portion 26 of the housing 10, and includes an inner peripheral portion or central portion 44 engaged or secured or clamped between the plate 40 and the casing 41 or attached to the piston 20 or to the piston rod 21 of the piston 20 for making a water tight or air tight seal between the cover 30 and the upper portion 26 of the housing 10, and/or for separating the compartment 32 of the cover 30 and the recess 25 of the housing 10 from each other, and thus for allowing the compartment 32 of the cover 30 to be selectively and suitably vacuumed.

One or more, such as two coil spring members 50, 51 are received in the compartment 32 of the cover 30 and engaged onto the casing 41 or the membrane 42, and a panel 52 is disposed or engaged on top of the spring members 50, 51 for being biased toward and to engage with the cover 30, and includes a center cavity 53 formed therein. It is preferable that the center cavity 53 is a counter sink or frustum-shaped cavity 53 for centering purposes. For example, the cover 30 includes an inner thread or screw hole 34 formed in the upper portion thereof for threading with a centering or adjusting bolt or member 35. A lock nut 36 may be threaded to the adjusting member 35 which may be a threaded member 35 for selectively engaging with the cover 30 and for selectively locking the adjusting member 35 to the cover 30.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 6, the adjusting member 35 may be a threaded member and rotated or threaded relative to the cover 30, and includes an inner end or centering tip 37 for engaging with the counter sink or frustum-shaped center cavity 53 of the panel 52 and thus for centering the panel 52 and the spring members 50, 51, and for preventing the spring members 50, 51 from being tilted or inclined relative to the cover 30 or the housing 10, and thus for allowing the spring members 50, 51 to suitably apply the spring biasing force against the plate 40 and the casing 41 and thus the piston rod 21 of the piston 20. The movement of the adjusting member 35 relative to the cover 30 may also be used to adjust the spring biasing force of the spring members 50, 51 against the plate 40 and the casing 41 and the piston 20.

It is further preferable that the spring members 50, 51 include different diameters for allowing the spring members 50, 51 to be disposed within or on the outer portion of the other spring members 50, 51, and it is further preferable that the spring members 50, 51 include different helical direction or inclinations (FIGS. 4-6), for further preventing the spring members 50, 51 from being tilted or inclined relative to the cover 30 or the housing 10, and for allowing the spring members 50, 51 to suitably erected or centered or balanced and to be suitably engaged between the panel 52 and the casing 41 and to suitably apply the spring biasing force against the plate 40 and the casing 41 and the piston 20.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 5, the exhaust gas from the exhaust tube may force and move the piston 20 against the spring members 50, 51 when the exhaust gas has a pressure greater than the spring biasing force of the spring members 50, 51, and may then flow into the chamber 14 of the housing 10 and then may flow out through the outlet 19 and the flare member 24 of the housing 10, such that the exhaust gas may only flow out through the outlet 19 and the flare member 24 of the housing 10 when the exhaust gas has a pressure greater than the spring biasing force of the spring members 50, 51, and such that the exhaust gas may be suitably silenced.

The compartment 32 of the cover 30 is preferably vacuumed for preventing an air pressure from being formed or generated within the compartment 32 of the cover 30, and for allowing only the spring members 50, 51 to apply their spring biasing force against the casing 41 and the plate 40 and the piston 20. The spring members 50, 51 may be previously calibrated to determine the spring biasing force of the spring members 50, 51 that may be applied onto or against the casing 41 and the plate 40 and the piston 20.

The prior or conventional exhaust tubes of the vehicles have no spring-biased piston 20 provided therein for acting with or for confronting the exhaust gas and/or for dissipating the pressure of the exhaust gas and/or for silencing the exhaust gas. The spring members 50, 51 and/or the panel 52 may thus be acted as a spring biasing means for biasing the piston 20 against the exhaust gas to dissipate the pressure of the exhaust gas and/or to silence the exhaust gas. In addition, the adjusting member 35 may be rotated or threaded relative to the cover 30 for engaging with the center cavity 53 of the panel 52 and for centering the panel 52 and the spring members 50, 51, and for adjusting the spring biasing force of the spring members 50, 51 against the plate 40 and the casing 41 and the piston 20.

Accordingly, the pressure regulating device in accordance with the present invention may be provided and used as a pressure regulating device and/or a pressure adjusting device and/or a silencing device and for attaching to exhaust tubes of such as vehicles and for regulating and/or adjusting the pressure and/or the outwardly flowing quantity or flowing speed of exhaust gas and/or for silencing the outwardly flowing exhaust gas.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A pressure regulating device for attaching to an exhaust tube, said pressure regulating device comprising: a housing including a base for attaching to the exhaust tube and including a chamber formed therein, and including an inlet formed therein and communicating with said chamber thereof for receiving an exhaust gas from the exhaust tube, and including an outlet formed therein and communicating with said chamber thereof for outward flowing of the exhaust gas, a piston slidably received in said chamber of said housing, and means for biasing said piston to control an opening or an enclosing of said inlet of said housing, and to control the exhaust gas to flow into said housing through said inlet of said housing, and to allow the exhaust gas to flow out of said housing through said outlet of said housing, the exhaust gas being capable of flowing into said chamber of said housing when against a spring biasing force of said biasing means applied against said piston.
 2. The pressure regulating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes a sealing ring disposed and engaged in said inlet of said housing for engaging with said piston and for controlling the opening or the enclosing of said inlet of said housing.
 3. The pressure regulating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes a conduit provided and supported in said chamber thereof and having a bore formed therein, and said piston includes a piston rod slidably received in said bore of said conduit.
 4. The pressure regulating device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said housing includes a partition provided in said chamber thereof to support said conduit.
 5. The pressure regulating device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said housing includes a barrel engaged into said bore of said conduit and engaged between said conduit and said piston rod for allowing said piston rod to smoothly slide relative to said conduit.
 6. The pressure regulating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said piston includes a piston rod extended therefrom, and said biasing means includes a spring member for biasing against said piston rod.
 7. The pressure regulating device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said piston includes a casing secured to said piston rod for engaging with said spring member.
 8. The pressure regulating device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said biasing means includes at least one second spring member disposed around said spring member for biasing against said piston rod.
 9. The pressure regulating device as claimed in claim 6 further comprising means for adjusting a spring biasing force of said spring member against said piston rod.
 10. The pressure regulating device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said housing includes a cover secured thereon, said adjusting means includes a panel disposed on top of said spring member, and an adjusting member threaded to said cover and engaged with said panel for moving and adjusting said panel against said spring member.
 11. The pressure regulating device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said panel includes a center cavity formed therein, and said adjusting member includes a centering tip for engaging with said center cavity of said panel and for centering said panel.
 12. The pressure regulating device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said center cavity of said panel is a frustum-shaped cavity for centering purposes.
 13. The pressure regulating device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said adjusting member is a threaded member, and a lock nut is threaded to said adjusting member for engaging with said cover and for locking said adjusting member to said cover.
 14. The pressure regulating device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said housing includes a cover secured thereon, and a membrane disposed between said cover and said housing for making an air tight seal between said cover and said housing.
 15. The pressure regulating device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said membrane includes an outer peripheral portion secured between said cover and said housing and includes an inner portion attached to said piston rod of said piston.
 16. The pressure regulating device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said cover includes a compartment formed therein and includes a hose coupled thereto and communicating with said compartment thereof for coupling to a vacuuming source. 